Why Apple’s iPhone 4 bumper case is a rip-off

You may want to think twice about this one.

Much has been made of the iPhone 4's antenna woes and whether or not a bare-handed grip will send you spiraling into no-signal limbo. Even if you are not the type to normally consider a case for your new iPhone, reading those reports might give you second thoughts.

While the third party market is quickly stepping up to provide options, the obvious first choice is the Apple Bumper case. Minimal and Apple-engineered, what could go wrong?

Not terrible

The Bumper is made of two kinds of plastic. The middle is a band of hard shiny plastic, with a surrounding band made out of a slightly more elastic plastic in a matte finish. It has recessed areas for the headphone jack, the mute switch, the USB port, and the mic and speakers. Metal buttons that push an internal piece of plastic into the real phone buttons are provided for the volume and sleep buttons.

The action on the button overlays feels fine, but the recess for the mute switch is fairly deep, requiring you to really reach in with a fingernail to throw the switch.

The plastic provides a decent amount of grip without creating that "grip-your-pants-pocket" feeling you can get from more rubbery cases, but it feels somewhat cheap in your hand. The way it fits around the phone creates a raised edge, which keeps the glass from touching flat surfaces, but the ridge is mildly uncomfortable to hold. It's certainly not painful, but the flat back of the phone really draws attention to the edge transition.

To put the case on, you simply snap your iPhone into it. Unfortunately, while the fit isn't loose, it is not exactly snug. It won't flop around with normal handling, but you can easily pull the Bumper away from the sides of the phone, as there's no elastic hold to it.

This gets the job done and manages not to be terrible. It feels a little cheap in your hand and doesn't snap as closely as you might like, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it—that is, until you see the price.

Apple sells the Bumpers in six colors for a wince-inducing $29 each. For this kind of quality and utility you should get all six colors for the price. Even for those used to paying the "Apple tax," this feels like a rip-off.

If Apple ever decided to sell the Bumpers in a pack like it used to do with the old iPod socks, it wouldn't be a bad way to switch up your phone colors on a whim. Until then, buyer beware: you need to really want one in order to feel satisfied with the purchase.

There's also a more serious problem with it you should mention - the dock connection. Apple-brand cables work but many third party cables are too "big" to fit with it on. This is a serious problem for stuff like car stereo adapters where often you don't even have the option to use another type of connector.

Basically this thing looks and feels rushed, and very un-Apple like. 3rd party cases will have them beat hands down, I wouldn't buy one even at $9.99.

Apple is just following the market with their pricing. There are a lot of cell phone cases in the $30 price range. And if you can't stomach paying $30 for a piece of rubber, there are a lot of cell phone cases which cost less.

Apple is just following the market with their pricing. There are a lot of cell phone cases in the $30 price range. And if you can't stomach paying $30 for a piece of rubber, there are a lot of cell phone cases which cost less.

Yeah, this is annoying. There is often a reason Apple products cost a bit more than the competition, but the thinking seems to be that since the accessory is for a 'premium' product, the accessory's price can be jacked up as well. But face it, how much engineering and design went into most of these rubber cases?

So yeah, it's a ripoff, but so are all the other cases out there. If Apple sold 6 for $30, which is a fair price, the other accessory makers would howl about being undercut, no doubt.

How is that in any way on topic for this discussion? If you have feedback or specific criticisms on our subscriptions, we're all ears, just use the contact form down there or post in our public feedback forum.

Nope. You do however get a shiny Apple logo printed on the cardboard backing of the packaging.

Also I forgot a gripe in the review. The matte plastic part is a lighter color than the shiny part, which has the unfortunate effect of making it look like that part is sun faded. Makes the case feel like you've been leaving it on your car dashboard for a couple years or something. I'd really like it more if it was just all the darker, glossy plastic look.

This article would have been stronger if you had compared Apple's bumper to at least one other product on the market. If you want the buyer to beware of this product, what do you recommend they spend their money on instead?

To answer that question, I usually turn to iLounge.com as a source for info about iPhone or iPad add-ons.

This is a ripoff, 9.99 at best for each. It doesn't cost Apple more than $1.40 to make this piece of plastic and get it into an Apple store.

The price of a thing doesn't generally bear much relation to its cost, other than that (hopefully, for the vendor) price>cost. Plenty of things are disgustingly cheap to make yet carry absurd price tags, where other things barely manage razor-thin margins. At some point it comes down to what people are willing to pay, and in the case of first-party Apple gear the answer is often "a lot."

There will always be people who complain about high-margin items, but outside of actual collusion (or basic needs) I can't really get too worked up about it. Sure, I hate $15 map packs for games and $30 cellphone cases, and the absolutely silly prices phone companies still charge for TXT plans. Where feasible, I simply don't buy them.

EDIT: Also you have to remember that the engineering work that goes into a product may cost a LOT more than the raw manufacturing cost. An item might cost $1 to produce, but it may have cost $30K to design before the first one came off the line. Probably not an issue here (with the kind of volume they'll likely move of these), but something to consider.

$30 is insanity for something that looks like you can buy it at the dollar store.

fletc3her wrote:

Apple is just following the market with their pricing. There are a lot of cell phone cases in the $30 price range. And if you can't stomach paying $30 for a piece of rubber, there are a lot of cell phone cases which cost less.

Thinking about it, that may be why Apple chose the $30 price tag. They don't want the aftermarket accessory suppliers (a HUGE market) bitching at them for muscling in and undercutting them. (It's probably also the reason they still include cheap-shit headphones.)

This is a ripoff, 9.99 at best for each. It doesn't cost Apple more than $1.40 to make this piece of plastic and get it into an Apple store.

The price of a thing doesn't generally bear much relation to its cost, other than that (hopefully, for the vendor) price>cost. Plenty of things are disgustingly cheap to make yet carry absurd price tags, where other things barely manage razor-thin margins.

This means that there is room in this market for competition. If there is that much margin, there is plenty of room for someone to sell it for less and take all the buyers. There should be a relationship between price and cost - if there's not, the market sucks and needs some competitors. Looking for a business opportunity? Jump in here.

I got one. I really like it actually. The cost is too steep without a doubt but it provides a good compromise of protection and maintaining the look of your phone. The biggest problem is that third party adapters often don't fit on the bottom since apple made it just as big, and no bigger, than their plugs.

How is that in any way on topic for this discussion? If you have feedback or specific criticisms on our subscriptions, we're all ears, just use the contact form down there or post in our public feedback forum.

Oh please... grow a funny bone.

On topic:

Apple could give a shit if you don't buy it or not. They make money on their brand loyalty and most Mac addicts buy that slop right up. Doesn't seem like that plan fails them much. That is standard fare for most of the Mac manufactured/sold add ons for any Mac product. Mark it high and make a profit on little inventory. Anybody who is a frequent Mac buyer knows that. The smart ones buy it elsewhere. I am not disagreeing/making light of their marketing philosophy. It works.

Truth be told... It's an ugly case and a fluff article with pretty pictures. Which makes the five dollar comment more on topic than you think.

I have one and it's not as bad as this article says. Before the launch I thought the same thing - "$30 for a rubber band?" But it's much nicer than that. There's also a metal strip running around the inside that keeps it from flexing like a completely plastic/rubber one would. Yes, it's overpriced but it's much better than I thought it was going to be...

How is that in any way on topic for this discussion? If you have feedback or specific criticisms on our subscriptions, we're all ears, just use the contact form down there or post in our public feedback forum.

We all LOVE ARS, and we love all you ARS denizens. We come here because this is the best dang tech site on the planet. But please, please, don't get defensive.

Most of your post is based on personal preference. Here's mine. The difference in color between the hard plastic and the rubberized material is a non-issue. My bumper fits snug, in fact it's a little difficult to take on and off, and I like that. Sure, the recessed mute switch is a little bit of a nag, but it's not terrible.

I've burned through so many cases since the 1st Gen iPhone, and I have to say this is probably one of the better designs based on form and function. It retains the sleekness of the original design of the phone, while providing protection where needed. My only gripe is that the opening for the dock connector doesn't fit all cables. Sure, if you use a standard charging cable that's fine, but if you want to dock, or use the Alpine cable in your care, you're SOL with a bumper on.

That's a legit gripe, but still doesn't render the case a "rip-off." Had this come from any other 3rd party vendor this would be a non-story.

Why is the title of this article "Why Apple's iPhone 4 bumper case is a rip-off". The entire article is just a mildly positive review of the case, and then a comment that you don't think it's worth $30. Please don't start sensationalizing your articles.

The reason this is a rip off is because the case is mandatory if you don't want a 20dB hit on your receiver sensitivity. Apple should be giving these away in the box with their defective phone, a fact which I intend to repeat to Apple representatives until I get my free bumper.

I like my bumper. I don't find it loose fitting at all. I've never had it pull away from my iPhone in the last week and I pull it in and out of my pocket all day long. I showed my iPhone to a coworker and he thought the bumper was part of the phone. I've looked at other cases that cover the entire back and I find them tacky compared to the bumper.

The one thing I don't like about the bumper is my car charger didn't work with it. So, I ended up spending another $20 to get a new one of those. Sold my old one to a coworker with a 3GS. I do like my new car charger better. The cord isn't that coiled, springy kind of wire. I found that annoying.

Is it too expensive? Probably. Is the iPhone too expensive? Probably. Everything Apple makes is too expensive. If paying $30 for the bumper gives you anxiety, you probably shouldn't be buying Apple products period.

Honest to god - $30 for a piece of punched-out plastic? Sure, Apple sells premium products of good quality. But this? This is just a ripoff. Glad to see someone questioning the emperor's clothing choices. Hell, just buy a box of condoms and use one to cover your iPhone.

Marketing idea for Apple (email me to work out the rights to this idea): Apple condoms - call them iPuds.

The reason this is a rip off is because the case is mandatory if you don't want a 20dB hit on your receiver sensitivity. Apple should be giving these away in the box with their defective phone, a fact which I intend to repeat to Apple representatives until I get my free bumper.

Except the article doesn't say that. Persuasive writing (like this article should be), normally spends a lot of time explaining why the points they're making support their argument. This one does not.

Aurich Lawson / Aurich is the creative director at Ars Technica, where he oversees the look and feel of the site as well as the day-to-day story graphic needs. He has over 17 years of experience in interactive design.